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The Oscar-winning film Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 documents the counselors who man the phones for the 24-hour service, but it never mentions the suicidal veterans who are put on hold or sent to voicemail, with calls never returned—a fact made public last week in a report from the Veterans Affairs inspector general, USA Today reports. The investigation also found that contracted counselors at the backup centers that took overflow calls from the Veterans Crisis Line may not have been trained to handle mental health crises, the Military Times notes. "We substantiated allegations that some calls routed to backup crisis centers were answered by voicemail, and callers did not always receive immediate assistance," the report stated, adding that about one in every six calls gets sent to one of half a dozen backup centers when the main hotline staff based in Canandaigua, NY, is swamped.

The VA investigation began in 2015 when it started receiving complaints from those who called for help and were put in telephone limbo. In one case, a suicidal Florida vet told a local news station he was put on hold over and over, up to 10 minutes at a time, per the Military Times. Altogether, the report found the backup center had transferred nearly two dozen current service members, veterans, or family members to voicemail. And the reason calls weren't returned? Backup center staff said they didn't know they had a voicemail system. The VA has already started to remedy the issues—including more staff at peak times and upgrading its phone system—and says it will implement other suggested changes by Sept. 30. (Those who wish to use the service can call 800-273-8255 (press 1), text 838255, or go to http://www.veteranscrisisline.net. (Female veterans have an "obscenely high" suicide rate.)

I saw a really good comparison of veteran of war benefits. I'm not going to remember it all but I don't want to click and paste either. The revolutionary war was barbaric. Survival rates were near zero for most wounds. The Revolutionary war granted pensions to survivors but there was no official safety net. So many of them wound up in the same home and that really started the VA home system. By the war of 1812, benefits were extended to wives and children. By the civil war, field medicine improved with field surgical kits and crude hospitals. Benefits included medical and housing. We saw the construction of the veterans retirement homes in this period. Its interesting that since Oklahoma was essentially a southern state by way of the tribes supporting the confederacy, they only built homes for confederate soldiers. Also Oklahoma paid 8500 pensioners a confederate retirement income. No such benefit was offered to any Union soldiers and the new Governor Haskell did everything within his power to prevent the new Union soldiers home from even being built. It did get built but was later tore down for the new women's prison. The confederate soldiers home still exists and now its a VA center, go figure.http://tinyurl.com/zyfs8pm WWI brought about better benefits for veterans but they were also offered a bonus. They wanted it paid early due to the depression and they "occupied" D.C. until the regular army ran them out. WWI invented the term "shell shocked." This was mainly due to sitting in trenches for weeks at a time while bombs explode continuously around you. It eventually gets you and when you do get to go home, you are pretty much a vegetable. The VA tried with limited resources to help these men. But that often meant putting them in snake pits. WWII saw a new concept called the GI bill or a serviceman's readjustment. Now veterans were not only getting post war assistance for medical and financial, they were also getting help to finish out college. VA medical center funding increased and a lot of our existing VA hospitals were built in this era. Then Korea brought us the MASH units. Now you had fully qualified level 1 trauma centers near the thick of battle and survival rates increased tremendously especially with the new medical helicopters. Post war benefits also increased as the GI bill went through revisions. Then VN came along with the advent of the helicopter as a main tool of war. The Huey made it possible to get injured out fast. Post benefits meant better health care but a big part of it was how to deal with Agent Orange. Either you sprayed it or got sprayed on. They finally gave benefits for it but to this day, its a very lengthy process to prove. Then the gulf wars gave us the new term, "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Well, it was simply the old foe shell shock with a new handle. Benefits for those soldiers exploded with the innovation of robotic replacement limbs and new funding sources for mental and physical treatments. But the VA hospitals saw a massive influx of patients that go all the way back to WWII. WWII, Korea, and VN's veterans are aging and have serious issues related but the gulf wars are sending in young people with horrible scars. Our own VA hospital went through a massive construction phase adding new imaging systems, better mental health treatment, and adding staff and yet we still can't keep up. I currently do part time medical tech at 2 hosptials. The VA is next to those hospitals. I won't go over there as it will be just too much to bear.

Fredabdal Ghaffar

Feb 17, 2016 6:35 AM CST

Has the National Goal changed? The National Goal is and continues to be reduce government ("we the people" according to the Preamble) and government spending (Using Governent Collusion and Beyond Cointelpro Assassinations to avoid expenditures / liabilities) ie. VA scandal (anybody know the veteran body count?) The American Holocaust is premeditated and orchestrated by unsub members of a radicalized Congress and SCOTUS for political and personal gain responsible for the total destruction of entire American families (Economic Oppression). Deficit = Death Fix It. Proof and evidence provided by National Whistleblower Allen Carlton Jr. (OSC MA 93 1872, USSC 99-565+supplement / US Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit 99-10108 Government Collusion / RICO / Beyond Cointelpro Assassinations). No day in court only Farce / coverup. RIP SCOTUS Scalia http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/01/us/one-federal-judge-does-battle-with-19-others.html

bobf123

Feb 16, 2016 7:26 PM CST

the need to make it law that all senators, congressmen and their staffs use VA facilities for all medical care! these problems would be fixed the first day! you can bet your ass on that!